Letters to the editor, Huntsville Times, Wednesday Feb. 3

The struggle to make Alabama another gambling state is in full force by the casino cartel and some legislators. If gambling is approved, it will be a lot like the legal expansion of alcohol.

The ABC Board was established in 1937 and a law was passed to give counties the option to go wet (some did). Since that time, numerous (too many to list) laws have been passed by the legislature liberalizing the legalization of alcohol.

Just last year the legislature approved lowering the local option for cities with a population of 1,000. If gambling is approved, the same situation will happen in Alabama.

The supporters of gambling are using the same old story as supporters of legalizing alcohol. It will provide money for education, make jobs, stop Alabamians from going to another state to gamble, we need to keep the money in Alabama, etc.

Alcohol has not solved the funds shortage in Alabama and gambling won't either. Cities and counties with liquor taxes have as high or higher tax burden than dry counties and cities.

Citizens/Christians of Alabama must draw the line in the sand and stop putting legislators in office that approve of things that are a detriment to this state. If we don't, we will just keep going downhill.

We could use another state and some county district attorneys to do their jobs and enforce the law.Also, it would help if some judges would uphold the current law.Bobby G. NunnGuntersville, 35976

Gambling income

It's one thing for our Alabama governor to name an "anti-gambling" czar who turns out to be corrupt; but it's inexcusable for the same governor to name a successor whose record is also tainted.

It's obvious that gambling entrepreneurs in Alabama (many of whom are called "Indians" rather than the politically correct "native Americans") have Riley and his administration in their pockets. If not, then Riley's administration is morally and ethically bankrupt.

Why else would Riley attempt to outlaw electronic bingo games in Alabama? The fact is that Alabama needs all the gambling revenue it can earn.

Alabama needs a legal lottery, and it should legalize (and tax) all legal forms of gambling.

The fact that millions of gaming dollars are flowing to Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, sovereign states that have legalized lotteries and other forms of gambling, is never factored into any of Riley's equations, but you can bet the bank that Alabama's "native American" entrepreneurs and their agents have long since figured out the tremendous benefit that would accrue to Alabama citizens from legalizing more forms of gambling - to their detriment, of course. Riley's stance on gambling is anti-Alabamian and pro-special interests.But what else would you expect from a Republican?